Been lurking for a few days, then had a little trouble actually registering. But everything seems to be working now.

I'm a freelance writer, with food, cookery, and culinary travel among my special areas of interest. Been writing about those subjects for nigh on to thirty years.

I'm also very involved with the heirloom vegetable movement, and, in fact, head-up a major organization---Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy-- in that field. There is, of course, a close tie-in with cookery and preserving a region's edible heritage, so my interests run in parallel tracks.

I live in central Kentucky, with my bride of 40 years, where both of us are owned by a Lewellen setter name of Gwynn.

They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling

Shall I tell you how I get my gribenes (Lord! I love being able to finally write that word) fix?

We wait until hens go on sale at the market and buy three of them (there are just the two of us, mind you). I break them down, and the skin from the legs, thighs, and backs are set aside. The legs, wing tips, and carcass are used to make stock, the other parts are wrapped and frozen for later use.

That leaves a lot of skin to be rendered down into schmaltz and gribenes. I still save and use schmaltz (grew up in the same tradition you did), but sparingly just when that special flavor is really called for.

The gribenes is my snack reward for doing all that work---which I'm sure my future cardiologist will have some comments about. But you know what they say; if they can't take a joke.......

They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling